


Unveiled

by Alisanne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-16
Updated: 2009-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-08 08:13:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1933497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alisanne/pseuds/Alisanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Department of Mysteries unintentionally retrieves Sirius Black from behind the veil, they need Draco Malfoy's medical expertise to survive the experience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unveiled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Celandine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/gifts).



**Title:** Unveiled  
 **Author:** [](http://alisanne.insanejournal.com/profile)[**alisanne**](http://alisanne.insanejournal.com/)  
 **Challenge:** Written for the 2009 [](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/fall_fantasia/profile)[**fall_fantasia**](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/fall_fantasia/) for [](http://celandineb.insanejournal.com/profile)[**celandineb**](http://celandineb.insanejournal.com/)  
 **Pairing:** Draco/Sirius, Severus/Harry  
 **Rating:** PG  
 **Word Count:** ~7000  
 **Summary:** When the Department of Mysteries unintentionally retrieves Sirius Black from behind the veil, they need Draco Malfoy's medical expertise to survive the experience.  
 **Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is © J. K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Books, and all other entities involved in the Potterverse.  
 **Highlight for Warnings:** * Non-traumatic, minor character death (off screen)*  
 **AN:** Cel, your requests included many things that I wanted to try to write, unfortunately, I couldn’t seem to include them all, so I settled for attempting some character development and (somewhat) balanced power dynamics. I hope I succeeded.  
Thank you to our mod, [](http://unbroken-halo.insanejournal.com/profile)[**unbroken_halo**](http://unbroken-halo.insanejournal.com/) , for hosting this fest again, and to [](http://sevfan.insanejournal.com/profile)[**sevfan**](http://sevfan.insanejournal.com/) and [](http://eeyore9990.insanejournal.com/profile)[**eeyore9990**](http://eeyore9990.insanejournal.com/), without whom this would have been a much less readable story.

  
~

Unveiled

~

“Awake?”

Draco yawned and rolled onto his back. “Since when has my not being awake ever stopped you?” he asked, looking up into Sirius’ amused, grey eyes.

Sirius gasped as if mortally wounded. “That was only the one time,” he said, running his hand over Draco’s forehead, brushing back his hair. “And I don’t recall you objecting all that strenuously.” He leaned closer and whispered, his words making Draco shiver. “You were still nicely loose, after all.”

“Mm,” Draco agreed, eyes dipping down to Sirius’ mouth for a split second. “I was. And I definitely wasn’t objecting.” He tried to pull Sirius on top of him, but Sirius resisted. “What?”

“You know I would never hurt you, right?”

“Of course.” Draco ran his hand down Sirius’ back. “What brought on this sudden, uncharacteristic worrying?”

Sirius stared into his eyes. “We’ve never discussed where this is going,” he said.

“Where do you want it to go?” Draco asked, mouth suddenly dry.

“Wherever you want it to.” Sirius sighed. “It’s just that-- Being with me could hurt you.”

Shaking his head, Draco ran his thumb over Sirius’ bottom lip. “No, it couldn’t. I’m a Malfoy and a Black.” He smiled. “I can take care of myself. After all,” Draco smirked, “I take good care of you, don’t I?”

“True enough.” Sirius buried his face in Draco’s neck.

Curling his arms around Sirius, Draco held him and thought back to their unlikely beginning. “We’ll be fine,” he whispered. “Trust me.”

~

_Nine months earlier..._

Draco stirred the potion with one last anticlockwise movement before dousing the flame. It was the clear periwinkle colour expected of perfectly brewed Headache Potion, and he smiled his satisfaction.

He had just finished his decanting when a knock sounded on the door, interrupting his routine. “Someone’s here to see you, Healer Malfoy.”

Draco’s hand remained steady as he filled the last vial. “Who is it, Melvina?” he asked, not turning around.

“It’s someone from the Ministry. He didn’t tell me what he needed but insists on talking to you.”

Draco sighed. “If I have to go and see yet another Auror who’s broken his foot from tripping over a sodding tree branch, I swear I will--”

“Healer Malfoy, a moment if you will.”

Startled, Draco turned around only to see a vaguely familiar man dressed in unmistakable grey robes standing next to Melvina. To Draco’s eye, she looked nervous, the way most of the staff of St. Mungo’s did when in the presence of people who worked in the Department of Mysteries. He wiped his hands. “Unspeakable--”

The man inclined his head. “Weasley.”

“Right.” _Of course._ Draco raised an eyebrow but the man remained silent. “Thank you, Mel. If you could give us a moment?”

She nodded and, after another glance at the stranger, left, shutting the door quietly behind her.

“I need you to come with me immediately.”

Intrigued despite himself, Draco placed the last vial in his stock cabinet and set the wards. After shrugging on his green Healer’s robes and picking up his Healer’s pouch, he said, “Very well. But you should know, I have dinner plans.”

Weasley inclined his head. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said dryly. He held out his arm and, after a miniscule hesitation, Draco took it. Their Disapparation barely made a noise.

~

“You understand that this is classified?” Weasley said when they were standing in front of a nondescript door, deep in a part of the Department of Mysteries Draco had never seen before.

Draco nodded and only just refrained from rolling his eyes. He was under an Unbreakable Vow not to reveal anything he did as liaison to the Department of Mysteries; did all Unspeakables not know that?

“I know you’re under an Unbreakable Vow, but as you’ll see, this falls outside of the parameters of that vow.”

Draco blinked, but before he could process that, he was ushered into the room. He stepped forward, immediately falling into Healer mode.

The only furniture was a cot in the corner. On it was a man, a filthy, possibly injured man. He was covered in blood, and he had what appeared to be contusions on the visible portions of his arm and leg. His clothes were shredded and his face was turned away towards the wall. He did appear to be breathing evenly, however.

“What happened to him?” Draco asked, placing his pouch on the floor and stooping next to the cot. He ran his wand over the man and cast a Medical Monitoring Spell to begin cataloguing the injuries. “Bones are all okay, he has some soft tissue damage--”

Moving around to the foot of the bed, Draco continued his perusal, finally ending with leaning over to check the man’s face.

It took him a moment, but when recognition set in, Draco recoiled with a gasp. “Merlin’s beard. This man is--”

“Yes.” Weasley sighed. “You see now why we’re asking you to voluntarily abide by your vow?”

Shaken, Draco nodded. Looking up at him was the gaunt yet unmistakable face of Sirius Black.

~

“For the third time, we don’t know what happened to him in there!”

Draco glared at Percy for a long moment before finally nodding. “All right. But surely you can tell me how you recovered him. Alive at that.”

“That’s classified.”

Slamming his hand onto the desk made Percy jump and gave Draco a fleeting sense of satisfaction. “Look, Weasley,” he snarled. “You’re the ones who called me in for my medical opinion. I can’t tell you a bloody thing unless you tell me exactly what happened!”

Weasley leaned back in his chair and eyed Draco for a long moment before sighing. “All right. But for the record I think your Unbreakable Vow should be revised to--”

Draco held up a hand. “I made it the way I made it for a reason. It deliberately excludes anything to do with my family so that I never have to make the sorts of decisions that my father did. I should think _you_ of all people would understand.”

Weasley’s expression went cold. “I am not exactly on the best of terms with my...” He bit his lip. “But I respect that you are. Very well, Healer Malfoy. I’ll tell you what I know, which, unfortunately, isn’t much.”

Licking his lips, Weasley pushed his glasses up on his nose. “We’ve been conducting experiments on the veil for several years now. Its nature is not well understood. It was recovered on a mission several decades ago and placed here in the Department of Mysteries for research purposes, but its origins are a mystery.

“For the past few months, several of the people working on it have reported hearing...sounds coming from it. Some even claimed to hear words.”

Draco suppressed a shiver.

“Anyway, another Unspeakable and I were running another set of charms on the veil, nothing we hadn’t tried before, but this time in a new sequence. And before you ask, no, I cannot tell you what they were. That is _definitely_ classified.”

Draco simply crossed his arms and glared.

“The experiment was proceeding as expected, which is to say, nothing was happening, until I heard someone scream.” Weasley had gone white, even his freckles seemed to have paled. “My partner heard it, too. We barely had time to move away from the veil before there was a flare of blinding light.”

“And Black appeared?”

Weasley nodded. “He was right there, lying on the floor of the chamber in front of the veil, barely breathing. He was covered in blood, and for a second we thought it was only his--” Weasley swallowed convulsively, “--body that we’d recovered. Then he moaned.”

Draco leaned forward. “Was he awake?”

“His eyes opened once, he looked at us, and then he was out. We haven’t been able to awaken him since, and you’re the only Healer who could even get near him.”

“You tried to get another Healer to see him?” Draco raised an eyebrow. Apparently his deal with the Department of Mysteries wasn’t exclusive. Interesting. “What happened to the other Healer?”

“Black apparently has some sort of charm on his body. Healer Lovegood said that we would need a family member to try.”

Draco nodded. “That’s an old spell. Many of the old pureblood families used to do that.”

Weasley nodded. “We never did, but I’ve heard it was a common practice in ancient times.”

Glancing over towards the window through which he was monitoring Black’s condition, Draco sighed. “Well, the charm clearly isn’t a problem for me since it recognises me as family, but what is a problem is that he’s not awake. As far as I can tell he’s physically fine, a bit bruised, but there’s nothing wrong with his body.”

“Yet he’s still unconscious.”

“Indeed.” Draco stood up and walked over to the window, placing his hand against it. “Did anyone try to give him any potions?”

“How could we? No one could get near him.”

Draco pursed his lips. Something about the situation was bothering him, something about the way Black smelled... His eyes widened. “It can’t be that simple--” he muttered.

Spinning on his heel, he strode out the door and into the connected room, ignoring Weasley’s questions. A few seconds later he was standing over Black, wand out. Sniffing the air, he growled, “ _Sobrietus_!”

There was a pregnant pause, then Black sat straight up and looked around. “Bloody hell, I feel like I’ve been run over by the Knight Bus!”

“What did you do?” Percy asked from the door.

Draco rolled his eyes. “Oh for-- The wanker was just drunk.”

“Oh, I’ll have you know that there was nothing ‘just’ about it,” Black declared, swinging his legs around to the edge of the bed. “I worked hard to get to that state. Do you know how hard it is for a dead man to get drunk? Have you ever tried?” He looked around. “Hm, never been here before. Where am I?”

“The Department of Mysteries, Ministry of Magic,” Draco supplied.

“There’s a Ministry in the afterlife, too?” Black whistled. “Just when I think I know everything--”

“You’re not in the afterlife.” Draco continued holding his wand just in case Black got violent. The man had been confined to Azkaban, after all. “You’re back in the real world.”

Black froze, then stared up at him. “You’re a Malfoy,” he said, eyes cool and assessing. “A not-so-distant relative, I would say. Why should I believe you?”

Weasley stepped up behind Draco. “Mr. Black, _I’m_ not a Malfoy,” he said. “As I’m sure you can tell, I’m a Weasley, my name is Percy, and I can confirm what Healer Malfoy just told you. This is not the afterlife. You’re alive.”

Black blinked, then, to Draco’s surprise, began to laugh. “Is something amusing?” Draco asked.

“Yes,” Black chuckled. “I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get back for days and finally, when I decide to go out and get drunk, it happens.”

“Days?” Draco cleared his throat. “Exactly how long do you think you’ve been gone?”

“I’ve been counting.” Black smiled. “By my calculation it’s been eight days, maybe nine depending on how long you’ve had me in here.”

Draco exchanged a look with Weasley before shaking his head. “I’m afraid you’re a bit off in those calculations.”

Black narrowed his eyes. “Which Malfoy did you say you were?”

Draco smiled. “I’m Draco, Narcissa’s son. Nice to finally meet you, Cousin Sirius.”

~

“Where is he?”

Draco glanced up to see Potter burst in, followed more sedately by Severus. He inclined is head. “Potter. Severus.”

“Where’s Sirius?” Potter demanded again.

Draco pointed to the door leading to the next room. Potter rushed forward, and through the window, Draco watched the reunion.

“Ja-Harry?” Black’s head snapped up, and he jumped to his feet as soon as Potter walked in. “Oh my God, look at you.”

They embraced, Black clinging to Potter while Severus hovered about the door, watching.

“Nice to see you, Severus.” Draco scribbled one last line on the parchment, finishing up his paperwork before getting to his feet. “It’s been a while.”

“It has.” Severus was wearing his traditional black, but the cuffs of his robes were trimmed with red. Draco raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. The outfit all but screamed Potter’s influence. “You know you’re welcome to visit, Draco,” he continued.

“I would, but for the fact that you live with sodding Harry Potter.” Draco looked over to where Potter and Black appeared engrossed in a deep and hushed conversation. “I’m shocked you haven’t killed each other yet.”

“There are times we come close, believe me,” Severus said, tone dry. Then, to Draco’s shock, an almost tender look crossed his face as he stared over at Potter. “But then, there are other times when--”

“Oh God, don’t tell me.” Draco affected a shudder. “I intend to eat dinner this evening and hearing how you’ve found ‘twu wuv’ with Potter might make me sick up.”

Severus rolled his eyes. “It’s time you grew up, Draco, and stopped being a prat. And speaking of growing up--” Severus stepped around Draco and, walking into the observation room, approached Black, whose eyes narrowed.

“Sniv--” A nudge from Harry made Black close his eyes for a moment. “Snape, I mean. Harry tells me that you and he are, er--” He floundered.

“We are,” Severus confirmed, crossing his arms. Draco sidled up behind him.

Potter had moved closer to Severus and was looking back and forth between the two men. “Now, we’re all adults here, right?”

Severus snorted and Potter, resolutely ignoring him, continued. “As I told you, Sirius, Severus and I live together, but we would love for you to join us once the Ministry releases you.”

Black frowned. “You told me, but I can’t believe it. Things must really have changed after I went through the veil.”

Draco laughed. “You have no idea.”

The other three men all turned to stare at Draco, but it was Black who said, “Maybe you can tell me all about it sometime, Malfoy.”

Something in his gaze made Draco flush. Mentally cursing his pale skin, Draco muttered, “Of course. We will have to get you acclimated to the new wizarding world, after all.”

“Which we’ll get started on as soon as possible,” Potter said. He turned to face Draco. “When can Sirius be released, Malfoy?”

Draco shrugged. “Hard to say. From a medical standpoint he seems fine, a bit dehydrated and malnourished, but none the worse for wear.” Draco had his doubts about Black’s mental state, but he didn’t mention that. “The question of _when_ he can be released, however, is one for the Unspeakable in charge of his case. That would be Weasley.”

“Percy?” At Draco’s nod, Potter grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

Once he was gone, Severus, Black and Draco all looked at each other for a long moment. “So, Harry killed Voldemort, yeah?” Sirius finally asked. “Tell me _that_ at least happened.”

“It did.” Severus’ tone was even. “He hunted down and systematically destroyed all of the Dark Lord’s Horcruxes and then killed him with a Disarming Spell.” He smirked when Sirius’ eyes widened. “Yes, Harry’s quite powerful.”

“Is that why you’re--” Black glanced at Draco before clearly amending his words, “--with him?”

“Why I am with him is not your concern, Black.” Severus hadn’t moved, yet Draco could tell he was coiled as if ready to spring into action.

“Not my concern?” Black laughed. “He’s still my godson, Snape. Of course it’s my concern, and if you’re slipping him some sort of Amortentia, I will find out and--”

“Right, well that’s sorted,” Potter said, strolling back in. “Percy was a bit reluctant at first, but since you’ve been cleared of all those charges from a while back, they have no reason to hold you once Malfoy says you can go.”

“Cleared?” Black blinked.

“Well yes.” Potter smiled. “I made sure to set the record straight, Siri. Even though we thought you were--” He swallowed. “It was only right to clear your name.”

“I appreciate it, Harry.” Black ran a shaking hand through his still filthy hair. “So can I go, Malfoy?”

“You may,” Draco said. “But you will need observation, so I’ll be assuming custody of you. I’ve already notified my staff to expect us this evening.”

“Your...staff?” Black frowned. “You’re checking me into St. Mungo’s?”

“Oh no.” Draco gathered up his things, placing them in his Healer’s pouch. “No one there can touch you. You require a family member to do that.”

“Harry touched me earlier.”

“True, but you were conscious.” Draco smirked. “Potter wouldn’t know what to do if you had a medical setback as he is not a Healer. I know you feel fine, but I must insist on keeping you under observation for a few more days at least. Plus, while you may acknowledge Potter as your heir, the Black family charm on your body in all likelihood does not, and if he comes near you while unconscious--” He shrugged.

“So where are you...taking me?” Black somehow made the words sound obscene, and Draco almost choked.

Severus didn’t react well either. “What are you playing at, Black?” he growled.

Draco shot a startled look his way. Apparently Severus was still trying to protect him. A wave of shame for his recent behaviour washed through Draco. Perhaps he could have visited Severus, despite Potter’s presence.

“I don’t know why you’re upset, Snape,” Black purred. “Draco is my Healer and he clearly has a plan, so I intend to put myself in his capable...hands.” He smiled. “So, where are we going?”

“Malfoy Manor, of course.” Draco looked over at Potter, whose mouth had fallen open. “Problem, Potter?”

Apparently, there was.

~

“It only makes sense,” Draco argued. “I am his relative and I am a Healer, which he clearly needs. He has to stay with me.”

“He’s my godfather!” Potter, looking furious, was pacing in front of Weasley’s desk. “And I’m his heir. Isn’t there some way to make that charm thing recognise me as a relative so I can take care of him?”

“And what would you do if he collapses?” Draco snapped. “Your medical training is limited to taking Pepper-Up for a cold.”

“If we can get that charm off, then any Healer can take care of him.” Potter was glaring at Draco now. “The Blacks disowned him, why does this thing still work, anyway?”

“You can’t disable family charms like these, Potter. They are passed down through the ages in the _blood_. You may as well try to remove his magic or his Animagus ability.” Draco shook his head. “And why I’m trying to explain this to you is beyond me. Talk to him, Severus!”

“Much as it pains me to agree with Draco, perhaps we _should_ retire to the Manor to discus this. Unless you enjoy providing fodder for the masses,” Severus murmured to Potter.

Potter’s face went beet red.

Weasley held up a hand. “Enough. It’s obvious to me that Malfoy needs to keep an eye on Black, and that Harry wants to be involved as well.” He sighed. “What do _you_ want, Black?”

“A shower and some food,” Black said. “Honestly, I don’t care where I go.”

Weasley smiled. “Ah, but we do. And we are _very_ interested in anything you can remember of your experiences behind the veil.”

Black scowled. “I don’t--”

“Yes, I know. You’ve said you don’t recall anything. But you may at some point.” Weasley pursed his lips. “Snape is a superb Legilimens, Harry is an Auror, Draco is a Healer. It seems to me that you may need them all, Black.”

Draco shivered as Black directed a piercing look his way.

“ _Need_?” Black asked, a small smile playing abut his lips. “Maybe so.”

~

After another thirty minutes of arguing, in which Draco cogently presented the advantages of Malfoy Manor (almost limitless space and a built-in staff to provide for Black) and Potter tried to counter by offering a tiny cottage in Godric’s Hollow with minimal amenities, at least by Draco’s standards, they agreed on the Manor. Well, Severus agreed. Potter just pouted the entire time.

Draco gritted his teeth and allowed Potter and Severus to follow them back to the Manor, and by the time they got there, Draco was exhausted. Between arguing with Potter, avoiding Severus’ glares, and giving the house-elves instructions for dinner and for the care of a smirking Sirius Black, Draco needed a nap.

He wasn’t going to get one, however. Just because he had a special Ministry patient didn’t mean he could ignore his regular case load at the hospital, after all.

Immediately after a very tense dinner, which Draco had felt honour bound to offer his guests and during which Potter glared, Severus smirked, and Black got seductive with his cutlery, Draco sighed, bid them good evening, reset the wards, and stepped into the Floo. Calling out the coordinates of his office at St. Mungo’s, he closed his eyes as he was whisked away. When he arrived, he immediately spotted the pile of parchments on his desk and groaned. “End of the month reports? Just perfect,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes.

He completed his rounds first; fortunately Melvina had already done most of the work, so all he had to do was say hello to his patients and sign the charts. After signing off on the reports, he ignored the rest of the paperwork and stepped into the Floo to return to the Manor. Even with cutting things short, it was still past ten when he got there.

“Mitsy!”

The house-elf appeared, looking anxious.

“Did Black try to leave while I was gone?”

“Master Severus and Harry Potter tries to take Master Black, but they is not escaping,” she proclaimed proudly. “The half-bloods is gone now.”

Draco sighed. Of course they’d tried. Idiots. “Good. When did they leave?”

“One hours ago, Master.”

“Well that’s something.” Turning away, Draco removed his green robes, grabbing a cardigan that he’d left to warm by the fire. The Manor was often draughty.

“Master Draco is wishing brandy?”

Draco smiled. “In the study, Mitsy,” he said. How the diminutive creature knew exactly what he needed, Draco never could tell.

The house was quiet, apparently Black was already asleep. Draco resolutely put that out of his mind, refusing to ponder that thought too closely.

Walking into the study, he looked up at the large portrait hanging over the desk. “Good evening, Mother.”

Narcissa, looking far better than she had towards the end of her life, stared down at him. “Ah, Draco. You’re finally home.”

“Yes, Mother.” He sat down behind the desk. “It was a long day today.”

“You work too hard. Are you sure you actually need to work? Don’t you think you’ve taken this far enough?”

Draco sighed. This conversation was tedious, but he always felt as if he had to explain himself. “I like what I do, Mother. It gives me a purpose, and I feel as if I’m somehow making up for all the horrible things that happened in the war.”

Narcissa clicked her tongue the way she often had in life. “Nonsense. We were taken advantage of by the Dark Lord. Everyone knows that.”

“Not everyone,” Draco muttered.

“Still, I’m sure you’re a brilliant Healer, darling. They’re lucky to have you. So, did anything exciting happen today?”

Draco contemplated his answer to this. Where to begin? “You could say that,” he finally replied. “You know the classified work I do for the Ministry? Well, guess who suddenly appeared out of the blue today?”

Narcissa sat back in her chair. “I have no idea, darling. Tell me! Don’t keep me waiting.”

Draco smirked. She’d always loved keeping _him_ in suspense. “Sirius Black was mysteriously recovered from behind the veil today, and I was called in to take care of him.”

“Cousin Sirius?” Narcissa’s portrait blinked. “Oh my. That’s a shock. He must be quite traumatized.”

“You’d think so, but he seems fine for the most part,” Draco said. “Time apparently passes at a different rate in there. He said it had only been a few days since he fell through.”

“Where is he? Did you leave him there?”

“Merlin, no. We may not be close, but he is family. I brought him here, despite Potter’s objections.”

“Potter?” Narcissa leaned forward. “And what is his interest in Sirius?”

Draco shrugged. “He wanted to take Sirius home with him. Apparently he feels as if he has a better claim on him. Something about Potter being Sirius’ godson and heir--”

“Whatever.” Narcissa waved an elegant hand. “We’re his real family. It’s only proper that he be here. You made the right decision.”

Relaxing, Draco said, “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it. He wasn’t exactly on the same side as we were in the war.”

“Wars and Dark Lords come and go, dear, but family is forever. Remember that.” Her eyes narrowed. “Something is bothering you.”

Sighing, Draco leaned back in his chair, propped his hands behind his head, and stared up her. “Has he always been so...annoying?”

“Annoying?” She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean he seems to be flirting a lot,” Draco said. “It’s as if he’s stripping me with his eyes.”

“Sirius?” At his nod, her eyebrow rose. “He must like you. He used to flirt outrageously with Andromeda and me, but never Bella.” Narcissa sighed. “I think that’s the real reason she held such a grudge.”

“But I’m a man!”

Now Narcissa was smiling. “So? And you like men?”

Draco sputtered. “I--”

“Draco, I’ve known for a long time that you like both. It’s understandable, really. You’re a Malfoy _and_ a Black. Malfoys think they’re irresistible, and Blacks really are.” She winked. “There’s no help for it, people notice you.”

“Mother!”

“What?” Narcissa sighed. “Draco, I think you’ve been alone too long. It’s time you find someone to share your life with.” She grinned. “Or at the very least, have some fun with.”

“ _Mother!_ ”

“What?” She smirked for a moment, then became serious. “You’ll be happier when you find someone, Draco. Trust me.”

“I do, but he’s my patient. I can’t possibly--”

“Oh pish. Are you or are you not a Malfoy?” Narcissa snapped. “Since when do other people’s rules apply to us?”

“That’s the sort of thinking that got us into trouble during the war.”

“Oh, you know what I mean!” She rolled her eyes. “He’s a Black, and trust me, _he’s_ not paying too much attention to any rules.” She smiled. “I’m not surprised he found a way to come back from behind the veil. And you haven’t answered the bigger question.”

“Which is?”

“Do you like him?”

“I--” Draco paused. “He’s all right, I suppose. A bit cocky, and quite flirtatious--”

“Draco!” Narcissa cleared her throat. “Do you _want_ him?”

Draco simply gaped at her.

She smiled. “Well, you should make up your mind soon. Sirius isn’t patient, and if he senses you’re ambivalent, he’ll...push the issue.”

“What do you mean?” Draco asked, eyes narrowed.

“If you think he’s flirtatious _now_ , you should see him when he gets it into his head that you may actually be interested.” Narcissa yawned. “Anyway, it’s getting late. You should get some rest. You’ll need it.” And before he could ask her what she meant, she was gone, having slipped out of the visible portion of the picture.

Draco sighed and, downing his brandy, turned off the lamp to go to bed. She’d given him a lot to consider.

~

To Draco’s surprise, Sirius calmed down over the ensuing days. Gone were the flirtatious looks, the innuendo-laden remarks, and instead he was pleasant but almost distant, as if he was carefully avoiding Draco.

Oddly, Draco found he missed the old, flirtatious Sirius. They saw each other at mealtimes and when Draco checked his wounds, but otherwise, what Sirius did during the day was a mystery to Draco. When he asked the elves they simply said he was up at all hours reading.

Severus and Potter visited daily for a while, usually in the evenings. They would often stay for dinner, then Potter and Sirius and would disappear for hours while he and Severus chatted over brandy. Draco had forgotten how much he had missed his godfather; the man was a fabulous conversationalist. Apparently Narcissa knew that, too, since the first time she saw Severus, Draco’d had to leave them talking while he went to bed to prepare for work the next day.

Weasley came by a couple of times a week to meet with Sirius, who still maintained that he couldn’t remember much about his existence behind the veil. Draco was inclined to believe him, but he certainly could appreciate that Weasley had to keep trying.

Sirius never demonstrated any obvious mental effects from his time behind the veil that Draco could see. The man read, entertained friends, ate and drank and overall seemed fine, yet Draco still had some niggling doubts. Something seemed off.

Things finally became a bit clearer the second week after Sirius’ return to the wizarding world. It was a Friday night before one of the rare weekends that Draco wasn’t working, and as he was walking past the library, he saw the light was still on. Peering around the edge of the door, he saw Sirius reading. He looked exhausted, his head was bobbing. “You should go to bed,” Draco said quietly, walking in.

Sirius jumped, blinking at him. “No!” he cried.

Draco froze, shocked.

Sirius began to babble. “I mean, I slept late this morning and I need to stay up late to get back on the correct sleep cycle--”

“Do you need a potion?” Draco said. “I can brew you something--”

“I don’t need anything.” Sirius stood up, placing the book on the table next to his chair. “Except maybe some company.” He leered at Draco.

Draco shook his head, not about to be distracted. “Sirius, are you having difficulty sleeping?”

Sirius held up a hand. “I’m fine.” He sighed. “Bad joke, sorry. Maybe you’re right. I should go and lie down.” He smiled and it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Perhaps we can discuss sleeping arrangements another time.”

As he pushed past Draco and left the library, Draco pursed his lips. Clearly he’d hit a nerve. Now he just needed to discover what kind.

~

His opportunity came the following evening. They ate dinner, then Draco said goodnight, going up to his room and settling in with a book to wait. At about midnight, Mitsy popped into his room. “The Master Sirius be sleeping now, Master Draco. I is telling you as instructed.”

“Thank you, Mitsy.” Draco swung his legs out of his bed. “Where is he?”

“The library.”

_Of course._ Draco nodded and, grabbing a dressing gown, wrapped it around himself before heading downstairs. He stood in the doorway for several minutes observing Sirius, who, to all appearances, seemed to be fighting sleep.

Draco’s eyes narrowed. He had assumed Sirius would have difficulty remaining asleep, but it looked as if the opposite was true. Sirius was fighting to stay _awake_.

As he watched, Sirius’ eyes closed and his head bobbed forward. A soft snore emerged from his mouth, and Draco crept inside to see what would happen next. It wasn’t long in coming.

Sirius began thrashing about, whimpering, his hands clutching the arms of the chair he was half-sitting, half-lying in. “No--” he moaned, his face twisted in obvious fear. “Please--”

“Sirius,” Draco murmured, bending over him. “Sirius, wake up. It’s just a dream.”

Sirius went from being asleep to being awake in seconds, and, eyes wild, he surged forward, knocking into Draco and clinging. Since Draco’s face was very close, Sirius’ inadvertent action resulted in him kissing the corner of Draco’s mouth.

His lips lingered there, and Draco found himself starting to turn his head to fully meet Sirius’ lips before his common sense took over. He drew back. “Bad dream?” he whispered.

Sirius, clearly shaken, exhaled. “Sorry,” he muttered, moving backward and releasing his vice grip on Draco’s arms. He tried to smirk. “Just goes to show what drinking before bed will do.”

Raising an eyebrow, Draco glanced at the still half-full brandy snifter on the table. “Doesn’t look as if you had that much,” he said. “If you need something more reliable to help you sleep, I have plenty of Sleeping Potion--”

“No.” Sirius cleared his throat and looked away. “That’s not necessary. I’ll be fine, I’m just going to go up to bed.”

Draco pursed his lips and, following his instincts, crouched down next to Sirius’ chair. “How long have you been having bad dreams?” he asked, voice soft.

Sirius’ head snapped up and he stared at Draco. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Come on, Sirius.” Draco sat back on his haunches. “I spent my life avoiding things. I recognise the technique, being a past master of it. If you let me, I can help you. Something’s going on, isn’t it?

To Draco’s surprise, Sirius barked a laugh. “I just knew you would call me on it eventually.”

Draco smiled. “You’re family, Sirius. Of course I did. So, how long?”

“Since I got back.” Sirius sighed and sat back in the chair, staring at a point just behind Draco’s right ear as he continued. “At first I was afraid to sleep. I--” He closed his eyes. “When I fell through, I was confused. I really thought I could come right back, but I couldn’t seem to access the veil from the other side.”

“What did you do?”

“I waited for a while.” Sirius smiled ruefully. “I knew Harry would try to get me back, but when no one came I decided I should explore.”

“What was it like there?”

“Grey. Sparse.” Sirius shrugged. “I found that when I wished for things, they appeared. So I wished I was back in the real world.”

“Understandable.” He smiled. “So what else did you wish for?”

“Company,” Sirius said baldly.

“And alcohol?” Draco asked.

Sirius grinned. “A pub, actually. Why settle for just a bottle, right?”

“But it didn’t go as you hoped.”

Sirius sighed. “Every time I wished for something it went wrong somehow. It was as if I was being punished, and maybe I was. Just before I--” He paused, choosing his words. “Before I got here I’d been in a fight.”

“You wished for a fight?”

“I wished I was home in London, at my favourite pub, the place I used to sneak out to get a drink. It started out okay, like it normally did, but then, everything went pear-shaped.”

“In what way?”

“The bloody barkeep got tetchy and threw me out. I was lying in the alley, feeling sorry for myself, and there was this bright light, and you know the rest.”

“You woke up in the Ministry.”

Sirius nodded.

“And now you’re having nightmares? So why is that? What are you dreaming about?”

Sirius swallowed. “What if-- What if _this_ is the dream?” he whispered. “What if I’m still in that place and one of these nights when I’m ‘sleeping’, I wake up back there? I couldn’t bear it.”

Draco leaned in. “This isn’t a dream, Sirius, but I wish you’d said something about this sooner. I think I can help you.”

“How, by checking me into the Janus Thickey ward?” Sirius rolled his eyes. “Am I mad?”

“You’re not going anywhere near that ward,” Draco said firmly. “I told you, you’re family, and we take care of our own.”

“Family, eh?” Moving forward unexpectedly, Sirius pressed a kiss full on Draco’s shocked lips. “Kissing cousins,” he murmured.

Draco smiled, resolutely quashing the surge of heat Sirius’ words and action had stimulated. “Let’s get you to the point where you’re sleeping before we discuss our...relationship, shall we?”

“You’re no fun.”

Getting to his feet, Draco held out his hand. “Oh, I can be a lot of fun,” he purred, enjoying the way Sirius’ eyes widened at his seductive tone. “But I’m your Healer first. Now come on, I know the perfect person to help us do this.”

~

“He is _not_ rummaging about in my head,” Sirius growled.

“Believe me, Black, if Harry, Draco, and Narcissa hadn’t asked this of me, I wouldn’t be assisting you,” Severus snapped back.

“He is the best Legilimens I know,” Draco said forcefully, bringing Sirius’ attention back to him. “Don’t you want to know what’s going on? If we figure this out, you’ll be able to sleep.”

“Come on, Siri,” Potter urged. “Let us help you.”

Sirius looked up at Potter, then back at Draco. A rueful smile curved his lips. “All right, but things between you and Snape better be okay right now, Harry.”

Potter blinked. “You’re singing a different tune,” he said.

Shrugging, Sirius muttered, “I figure if your sex lives are okay, Snape won’t think it amusing to fu--” Weasley cleared his throat and Sirius smoothly amended his words, “--mess up my psyche.”

“As if I could mess it up any worse than it already is,” Severus deadpanned.

“Ha, bloody ha.” Sirius leaned back. “Fine. Do your worst.”

Severus smirked. “There was a time when that would have been an irresistible invitation,” he murmured. “Sadly, those days are over. _Legilimens_.”

Draco followed Sirius’ condition with a Medical Monitoring Spell, and in a surprisingly short time, Severus emerged, rubbing his head.

Sirius blinked. “That fucking bitch,” he growled.

Severus raised an eyebrow. “Shockingly, I find myself agreeing,” he said. He began to stand and stumbled slightly. Potter was at his side immediately, assisting him to a chair.

“What is it?” Draco stared at Severus. “What did you find?”

“Bellatrix added a little codicil to her curse,” Severus said. “Not only did she mean to murder Black, but she also added a twist that he would be wandering in limbo for eternity.”

“That’s why I never officially passed over,” Sirius said. “She meant for me to go mad in limbo!”

“Indeed. Fortunately for him, the research in the Department of Mysteries was focussed on just that, limbo,” Severus continued.

Weasley bit his lip, then, as if making a decision, he nodded. “That’s right, it is. So Lestrange is the one who made it possible for Sirius to come back? It wasn’t something we did?”

“Apparently not.” Severus’ tone was oddly soft, and Draco wondered why before recalling that Weasley had lost his brother during the war. He sighed.

“So that’s what you were doing?” Draco asked. “Trying to pull people back?”

Potter had walked over to Weasley and, placing his hand on his shoulder, whispered something. Weasley smiled. “Yes.”

“So Bella did this?” Sirius shook his head. “She really hated me.”

“Most assuredly.” Severus rubbed his head. “Anyway, I managed to remove the curse. The nightmares should resolve themselves in a few weeks.”

“That was...generously done, Snape.” Sirius, still looking a bit shell-shocked, got up and walked over to Severus’ chair. He held out his hand. “Thanks.”

Breath held, Draco watched as they hesitantly shook hands.

“Well, isn’t this brilliant?” Potter was grinning form ear to ear. “And does this mean Sirius can move home now?”

Draco coughed. “I suppose so. From what Severus is describing, his recovery should be relatively uneventful from now on.”

“Actually, I was hoping to stay on at the Manor for a few more days,” Sirius said. “If that’s all right with you, Draco. There’s a...project I’d like to pursue.”

“Indeed.” Severus was frowning suspiciously, but when Draco smirked at him, he sighed and rolled his eyes. “Merlin save us all,” he muttered.

“What?” Potter asked, looking back and forth between Severus, Sirius and Draco. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” Draco said. “If we’re done here, I need to get back to the Manor--”

Potter narrowed his eyes but didn’t say another word, although he did spend a long time whispering with Sirius in the corner while Draco and Weasley filled out paperwork. “Oh!” he said loudly several minutes later. He raised an eyebrow as he looked over at Draco. “Your choice, I guess.”

Draco flushed bright red under Potter’s regard before lifting his chin proudly, daring him to say anything. Potter shook his head.

“Be careful,” Severus admonished Draco as he prepared to leave.

“Always,” Draco replied.

“Hm.” Severus looked disbelieving, but nonetheless, he nodded before dragging Potter away. They Flooed back to the Manor, and as Draco stumbled out of the fireplace, having sent Sirius ahead, he fell into Sirius’ arms.

“Gotcha,” Sirius murmured, not letting go.

Draco swallowed hard. “What did you tell Potter back at the Ministry?” he asked.

“He asked what my ‘project’ was,” Sirius said. “So I told him that I was planning to seduce you.”

“You--?” Draco glared. “Arse.”

“What did you and Snape talk about?”

Draco smirked. “About the fact that I planned to let you seduce me.”

Sirius barked a laugh. “Let’s get to it, then,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for an invitation to your bed.”

“Weren’t you in Gryffindor?” Draco asked. “I thought you people were supposed to be bolder than that.”

“I’ll show you bold,” Sirius murmured.

And he did.

~


End file.
